Final Act of the Diplomatic Conference of Geneva, 12 August 1949

The Conference convened by the Swiss Federal Council for the purpose of revising:

the Geneva Convention of 27 July 1929 for the Relief of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field, the Xth Hague Convention of 18 October 1907 for the Adaptation to Maritime Warfare of the Principles of the Geneva Convention of 6 July 1906, the Geneva Convention of 27 July 1929 relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and to established a Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, deliberated from 21 April to 12 August 1949, at Geneva, on the basis of the four Draft Conventions examined and approved by the XVIIth international Red Cross Conference held at Stockholm. The Conference established the texts of the following Conventions: I. Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. II. Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. III. Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. IV. Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. These Conventions, the text of which has been established in the English and French languages, are attached to the present Act. The official translation of the same Conventions into Russian and Spanish will be made through the good offices of the Swiss Federal Council. The Conference further adopted 11 resolutions which are also attached to the present Act: In witness whereof, the undersigned, duly authorized by their respective Governments, have signed this present Final Act. Done at Geneva, this twelfth day of August 1949, in the English and French languages. The original and the documents accompanying it shall be deposited in the Archives of the Swiss Confederation.